■ John  P,  Gonoher 

Number. 

What  Shall  we  do  with  the 
Filipinos? 

Another  View. 


"Surely  the  isles  shall  gather  themselves  unto  me  * * *” 

— Isaiah  60: 1>. 


BY 

W.  H.  RICE. 


CHICAGO  : 

GEO.  E.  MARSHALL  & CO.,  144  MONROE  ST. 
1899. 


Copyrighted  1898  by  W.  H.  Rice. 


The  question  has  been  raised  recently  as 
to  whether  the  proper  persons  can  be  found 
to  deal  with  the  alien  peoples  who  have 
come  under  our  care,  on  their  own  territory 
and  be  successful. 

To  answer  this  question,  in  part,  by  show- 
ing what  has  been  accomplished  under  like 
circumstances  elsewhere  is  the  object  of  this 
paper. 


Evatiston^  III. 
December,  i8g8. 


Additional  copies  can  be  bad  from 

Geo.  E.  Marshall  & Co.,  Printers, 

144-146  Monroe  Street,  Chicago. 

Price  per  copy  5c;  per  100,  8.3.00. 


What  shall  we  do  with  the 
Filipinos? 

Another  View. 


“ He  shall  not  fail  nor  be  discouraged  till  he  have  set  judgment 
{religion)  in  the  earth;  and  the  isles  shall  wait  for  his  law!' 

— Isaiah  42-4. 

“ My  righteousness  is  near ; my  salvation  is  gone  forth,  and 
mine  arms  shall  judge  the  people;  the  isles  shall  wait  upon  me,  and 
on  mine  arm  shall  they  trust." — Isaiah  J/-J. 


As  the  ciuestion  of  what  to  do  with  our  newly  acquired 
possessions  in  Cuba  and  the  Philippines  seems  to  be  fraught,  in  the 
minds  of  many  of  our  people,  with  a certain  degree  of  danger 
and  doubt  as  to  the  outcome,  it  has  seemed  fitting  to  give  a few 
facts  from  history  that  would  likely  relieve  this  anxiety  and 
show  how,  in  one  way  at  least,  the  question,  “ What  shall  we  do 
with  them?  ” can  be  answered. 

The  Christian  church  in  this  land  has  been  praying  for  nearly 
a century  that  the  islands  of  the  sea  might  be  brought  under  the 
banner  of  Jesus  Christ  and  now  that  this  prayer  seems  to  be 
answered,  lo!  the  fear  of  many  overcomes  their  faith  and  they 
would  close  the  doors  that  God  in  his  Providence  has  opened  to 
the  heralds  of  salvation. 

Is  this  becoming  to  us  as  a Christian  nation?  Why  this  fear? 

Is  it  because  there  is  a lack  of  men  and  material  to  go  in  and 
possess  the  land?  Is  it  from  fear  that  we  cannot  assimilate 
socially  and  politically  with  these  alien  races?  Those  who  think 
thus  have  read  history  very  superficially.  One  thing  is  certain — 
if  we  expect  to  bring  these  people  up  to  the  high  standard  we 
claim  for  ourselves  we  must  make  radical  changes  in  our  methods 
of  dealing  with  them  from  those  we,  as  a nation,  have  been  wont 
to  use  with  the  alien  races  who  have  been  a part  of  our  popula- 
tion since  we  were  a people. 


1 


This  question  of  what  relation  this  nation  should  bear  to 
these  people  is  being  agitated  to  (piite  a large  extent  now,  and 
will,  no  doubt,  bear  an  important  part  in  the  congressional  legis- 
lation in  the  immediate  future.  It  has  been  said,  and  very  truly, 
that  in  the  arguments  against  the  retention  of  the  colonies  about 
to  come  under  our  control,  there  has  been  a “cold  disregard  of 
the  moral  responsibility  ” in  our  dealing  with  this  question. 
Some  have  gone  so  far  as  to  look  upon  this  kind  of  responsibil- 
ity as  the  “ primal  phase  of  the  question  ” — and  why  not? 
History  and  experience  both  show  that  this  is  the  only  way  to 
look  at  this  question.  In  fact,  it  is  the  only  kind  of  responsi- 
bility that  can  be  made  effective  in  lifting  such  peoples  into  a 
higher  and  nobler  life  and  preparing  them  for  the  relations 
with  us  into  which  they  undoubtedly  will  come,  sooner  or  later, 
whether  by  sovereignty  or  annexation. 

Is  not  such  a responsibility  a perfectly  proper  and  legitimate 
result  of  this  new  relation? 

We  have  raised  in  the  minds  and  hearts  of  these  peoples 
hopes  of  better  things  and  shall  we  disappoint  them  and  permit 
them  to  drop  back  into  their  previous  condition?  Politicians 
are  already  quaking  for  fear  these  peoples  will  want  representa- 
tion in  our  legislative  halls — and  that  they  will  not  submit  to 
taxation  without  representation.  These  are  all  surmises.  They 
need  educating  in  these  things,  no  doubt,  but  is  the  politician 
the  one  to  do  it?  History  and  experience  would  hardly  give  an 
affirmative  reply  to  this  incjuiry. 

Is  there  not  a higher  plane  on  which  to  carry  on  the  work  of 
assimilating  the  people  of  our  new  possessions  with  our  ideas 
than  the  plane  of  politics?  Why  not  take  into  account  this 
element  of  moral  responsibility  and  make  it  the  basis  of  our 
action  toward  these  alien  peoples?  In  other  words,  why  not 
drop  the  political  and  try  Christian  ethics?  Certainly  the  non- 
recognition of  the  moral  element  is  unchristian  and  to  be 
deplored,  and  in  my  way  of  thinking  is  a greater  menace  to 
our  nation  than  the  annexation  of  a thousand  islands  to  our 
domain.  Legislative  enactments  never  make  men  better  mor- 
ally. Men  without  morality  can  accomplish  nothing  in  the 
furtherance  of  moral  principles,  so  that  in  dealing  with  the  peo- 
ples referred  to  we  need  men  who  understand  what  are  the  basic 
principles  of  good  order  and  social  permanence. 

The  apostle  Paul  says:  “ 'I'he  natural  man  receiveth  not  the 
things  of  the  Spirit  of  God:  for  they  are  foolishness  unto  him; 
neither  can  he  know  them,  because  they  are  spiritually  di.scerned.” 


2 


— I Cor.  2,  14.  Hence  the  need  of  care  in  selecting  the  right 
kind  of  men  to  take  up  this  work. 

A distinguished  commentor  of  the  Old  'I’estainent  prophecies 
advances  the  opinion  that  the  destruction  of  the  Hebrew  nation 
grew  out  of  the  fact  that  they  could  not  be  made  to  realize  that 
the  moral  law  or  the  moral  elements  in  the  Law  took  precedence 
of  the  ceremonial  law.  In  my  way  of  thinking  the  Jews  sowed 
the  seeds  of  national  dissolution  when  they  went  counter  to 
God’s  wishes  and  entered  the  arena  of  politics  in  desiring  a king 
to  rule  over  them — thus  displacing  God  and  choosing  a human 
leader.  Are  we  not  running  a risk  in  endeavoring  to  put  con- 
stitutional and  international  law  above  the  moral  law? 

“ Have  we  the  capacity,”  says  one,  referring  to  our  being  able 
to  govern  these  peoples.  I say  yes,  if  we  change  our  usual  basis 
of  action.  But  unless  our  righteousness  as  a nation  exceeds  the 
righteousness  of  our  politicians  we  will  have  but  little  influence 
over  the  Cubans  or  Filipinos. 

What  about  polygamy  in  Utah  and  the  hellish  liquor  traffic 
everywhere?  Have  we  the  capacity?  Politically,  no!  Morally, 
yes — a thousand  times  yes — if  Christian  men  and  women  do 
their  duty.  What  are  the  twelve  to  fifteen  million  church  mem- 
bers in  the  United  States  doing  in  these  matters?  Largely 
nothing  but  sleeping  on  their  rights  and  privileges.  Look  at 
our  political  relation  to  the  Negro  and  the  Indian. 

One  who,  as  a missionary,  helped  to  bring  the  people  of 
Hawaii  into  their  present  position,  in  referring  to  the  negro 
question  at  the  South,  says— “The  great  constructive  force  in 
the  South  and  everywhere  else  is  the  Christian  teacher.  /« 
hoc  signo  vinces,  is  as  true  now  as  in  the  days  of  Constantine. 
Let  us  make  the  teachers  and  we  will  make  the  people.”  That 
is  the  key  to  the  w'hole  matter.  There  is  really  no  cause  for 
fear  in  the  adjudication  of  these  matters  except  on  the  part  of 
politicians.  I believe  it  would  be  within  the  limits  of  truth  to 
say  that  a thousand  Christian  men  and  women  stand  ready  to 
go  and  occupy  these  islands  if  the  means  were  at  hand  to  enable 
them  to  do  so,  and  their  labors  would  accomplish  what  such  labors 
always  accomplish — would  purify  and  regenerate  the  whole  mass. 

Our  experience  with  the  Indian  proves  that  history  has 
repeated  itself  and  that  the  politicians  with  the  saloons  as  an 
ally — like  the  scribes  and  pharisees  of  old — have  made  their 
proselytes  “ twofold  more  children  of  hell  than  themselves.” 
The  condition  of  the  Indian  is  set  up  as  an  object  lesson  against 
our  assuming  charge  of  these  aliens. 


3 


Politically  this  is  true.  From  a moral  point  of  view  it  is  false. 

The  Indian  is  today  the  exemplification  of  the  uselessness  of 
political  effort  in  lifting  a people  out  of  their  degradation.  The 
maxim  of  the  politician  is  “To  the  victors  belong  the  spoils,” 
and  the  best  way  to  treat  an  Indian  is  to  despoil  him.  The  work 
of  the  politician  is  purely  mercenary.  There  may  have  been 
exceptions  but  they  are  few. 

Socially  the  North  American  Indians  were  no  lower  in  the 
scale  than  the  Sandwich  Islander  or  the  natives  of  Australia 
when  our  missionaries  first  went  among  them,  yet  in  sixty  years 
the  Hawaiians  were  a Christianized  and  civilized  people  fit  to 
take  their  place  among  favored  nations. 

And  mark  this,  the  cost  to  the  American  Board  was  only  a 
million  and  a quarter  dollars  for  sixty  years’  work. 

Contrast  that  with  the  following: 

“ ‘ Poor  Lo  ’ is  an  expensive  burden.  Since  the  United  States 
government  was  formed  19,000  white  men,  women,  and  children 
have  been  slain  in  Indian  wars  and  affrays  and  about  30,000 
Indians,  at  an  expense  to  our  government  of  $807,073,658.  To 
this  immense  sum  must  be  added  the  civil  expenditures  of  the 
government  on  behalf  of  the  Indians,  which,  between  1776  and 
1890,  amounted  to  $259,944,082,  making  a total  of  $1,067,017,740 
for  civil  and  military  expenses  in  connection  with  the  noble 
red  man.” — Chicago  Tribune  Oct.  26,  i8g8. 

What  made  the  work  in  Hawaii  such  a success  ? 

Certainly  not  politics  nor  parties.  It  was  by  the  inoculation 
of  moral  principles.  'I'he  basis  of  action  was  the  principle  that 
“ righteousness  exalteth  a nation,”  and  where  this  principle  has 
been  permitted  free  play,  the  Indian  has  been  elevated  thereby. 

Read  what  the  Gospel  in  the  hands  of  William  Duncan,  with 
God’s  blessing,  did  for  the  Metlakahtla. 

“ Mr.  Duncan  had  been  laboring  among  them  for  thirty  years, 
and,  like  our  pilgrim  forefathers,  came  to  a new  land  in  search 
of  liberty  and  peace.  They  have  established  a model  settlement 
of  about  1,000  model  citizens,  all  of  whom  have  subscribed  to 
the  following: 

DKCLARATION  OK  RESIDENTS: 

We,  the  people  of  Metlakahtla,  Alaska,  in  order  to  secure  to 
ourselves  and  our  posterity  the  blessings  of  a Christian  home, 
do  severally  subscribe  to  the  following  rules  for  the  regulation 
of  our  conduct  and  town  affairs: 

First. — To  reverence  the  Sabbath  and  to  refrain  from  all 
unnecessary  secular  work  on  that  day,  to  attend  divine  worship 


4 


to  take  the  Bible  for  our  rule  of  faith,  to  regard  all  true  Chris- 
tians as  our  brethren,  and  to  be  truthful,  honest,  and  industrious. 

Second. — To  be  faithful  and  loyal  to  the  government  and 
laws  of  the  United  States. 

Third. — To  render  our  votes  when  called  upon  for  the  elec- 
tion of  the  town  council,  and  to  promptly  obey  the  by-laws  and 
orders  imposed  by  the  said  council. 

Fourth. — To  attend  the  education  of  our  children,  and  keep 
them  at  school  as  regularly  as  possible. 

Fifth. — To  totally  abstain  from  all  into.xicants  and  gambling, 
and  never  attend  heathen  festivities  or  countenance  heathen 
customs  in  surrounding  villages. 

Sixth. — To  strictly  carry  out  all  sanitary  regulations  necessary 
for  the  health  of  the  town. 

Seventh. — To  identify  ourselves  with  the  progress  of  the 
settlement,  and  to  utilize  the  land  we  hold. 

Eighth. — Never  to  alienate,  give  away,  or  sell  our  land,  or 
building  lots,  or  any  portion  thereof,  to  any  person  or  persons 
who  have  not  subscribed  to  these  rules. 

In  Metlakahtla  there  is  no  need  of  a jail,  for  there  are  no 
criminals,  and  the  money  that  would  in  other  towns  be  spent 
for  enforcing  law  and  order  and  caring  for  the  poor,  is  here  used 
for  education  and  improvements.  There  are  no  filthy  streets 
and  no  “communal  houses,”  with  their  ten  or  fifteen  families 
each,  as  in  most  .Alaskan  towns.  Metlakahtla  is  a village  of  neat, 
pretty  cottages,  with  well-cultivated  gardens  for  each  separate 
family.  Here  is  an  unanswerable  argument  for  the  power  of  the 
Gospel  to  transform  the  degraded  and  ignorant,  and  a clear 
proof  that  it  is  worth  while  to  seek  to  save  the  Indians.  To 
allow  these  industrious,  peace-loving,  and  godly  Indians  to  be 
disturbed  would  be  an  everlasting  disgrace  to  a nation  claiming  to 
be  both  civilized  and  Christian.” — Missionary  Revie7t>  July  i8g8. 

At  the  Northfield  Conference  in  .August  1896,  the  speaker  on 
“ The  Gospel  among  the  Red  Men,”  made  this  statement.* 

“ Not  very  long  ago  the  governor  of  our  colony  sent  out  one 
of  his  commissioners  to  meet  the  Indians  with  supplies,  in  accord- 
ance with  the  treaty.  This  commissioner  sent  word  to  one  of 
our  Christian  Indians  to  bring  his  people  to  a certain  point,  as 
he  would  be  there  to  distribute  their  annual  allowances.  The 
Indians  were  on  hand  at  the  time  appointed;  they  brought 
nothing  from  their  distant  camp  fires,  for  they  expected  to 
receive  abundant  supplies  to  feast  upon.  But  the  day  came, 
and  the  big  white  commissioner  did  not  arrive,— and  it  is  an 
everlasting  disgrace  when  government  representatives  break 

* Rev.  Egerton  R.  Young,  Toronto.  Canada. 


5 


word  with  the  Indians.  The  commissioner  did  not  come  the 
first  day,  or  the  second,  and  the  Indians  were  hungry.  They 
went  to  the  big  chief  and  said,  “ Pakan,  our  wives  and  children 
are  crying  for  food, — here  are  our  supplies,  the  gift  of  the  Queen 
to  us,  and  her  servant  has  not  yet  come  to  distribute  them. 
Will  you  open  them  and  give  us  enough  to  satisfy  us?”  “ Oh, 
no,  my  children,  I have  never  broken  a word  of  treaty  and  I 
don’t  want  to  now,”  replied  the  chief.  The  nex't  day  no  white 
man  appeared,  and  the  third  morning  those  young  Indians’  eyes 
began  to  look  ominous  and  flash  out  something  that  boded 
trouble.  They  went  to  the  chief  and  said,  “We  must  have  food 
for  our  hungry  ones.”  His  answer  was,  “ Have  patience  a little 
longer,  my  people,”  ,and  he  called  on  an  Indian  who  had  a 
splendid  horse  to  accompany  him,  and,  mounting  his  own,  away 
they  went  as  fast  as  they  could,  to  find  and  hurry  up  the  dilatory 
commissioner.  About  noon  they  met  him  coming  along  with  a 
large  retinue  of  friends  and  servants.  In  those  days  that  country 
abounded  in  game,  and  these  white  men  had  gone  out  for  a 
good  shooting  time.  As  Pakan  rode  into  the  camp  at  noonday 
he  found  them  preparing  to  stop  there,  because  not  far  off  was 
a spot  that  seemed  full  of  game.  Pakan  said  to  the  commis- 
sioner, “You  have  broken  your  promise  to  my  people.  You 
were  to  have  met  them  three  days  ago.  Don’t  stop  here, — come 
on  and  distribute  the  supplies,  for  my  people  are  hungry.”  “ Oh, 
Pakan,  I am  glad  to  see  you,”  replied  the  white  man,  “ you  are 
the  chief.  I would  like  to  have  you  dine  with  me,  I hear  you 
are  a great  hunter.  Come  with  us  this  afternoon  and  show  me 
your  skill  in  hunting.”  “ No,”  said  he;  “ you  have  broken  your 
word.  The  people  are  hungry, — come  on  at  once.”  “Oh,  no; 
I am  going  to  have  some  shooting.”  Pakan  said,  “When  are 
you  coming?  ” “ I will  come  to-morrow.”  “ Oh,”  said  Pakan, 
“ to-morrow  is  the  Sabbath,  and  we  have  been  taught  to  keep 
the  Sabbath.”  The  commissioner  answered,  “My  religion  won’t 
prevent  me  from  distributing  the  food  on  Sunday.”  Pakan 
looked  at  him.  He  is  one  of  the  finest  specimens  of  a man  I 
ever  saw.  He  bravely  replied,  “ I don’t  care  what  your  religion 
will  allow  you  to  do,  mine  says,  ‘ Remember  the  Sabbath  day 
to  keep  it  holy,’ — and,  hungry  as  we  are,  unless  you  come  and 
distribute  the  food  to-day,  we  will  not  take  it  until  Monday.” 
'I'he  man  (juailed  before  him,  and  at  once  some  subordinate  was 
sent  back  with  him.  Before  they  left,  the  commissioner  said  to 
the  chief,  “ I shall  come  along  to-morrow,  and  we  will  have  our 
usual  annual  talk  about  Indian  affairs  and  the  distribution  of 


money.”  I'akan  replied  aj^ain,  “ To-morrow  is  the  Sabbath,  and 
we  will  have  no  treaty  talk  to-morrow,”  and  away  he  rode.  The 
next  day  the  white  man  came  on  to  the  Indian  encampir.ent. 
He  expected  the  Indians  to  meet  him,  hundreds  of  them,  with 
firing  of  guns  and  waving  of  flags,  but  not  one  came  to  receive 
him,  and  no  guns  were  fired;  the  only  wigwam  where  the  flag 
was  flying  was  the  place  where  the  people  met  together  three 
times  a day  to  worship  God.  The  commissioner  sent  out  his 
criers  for  a council,  but  not  one  Indian  responded.  He  sent 
for  Pakan  to  come  and  dine  with  him,  but  Pakan  said,  “ I dine 
with  my  own  family  on  God’s  day  whenever  I can,” — and  he 
refused  the  invitation.  It  is  a great  thing  to  dine  with  the 
ambassador  of  the  Queen,  yet  this  godly  Indian  refused  the 
honor  on  account  of  his  respect  for  the  Sabbath  day. 

Now  I want  to  give  you  an  incident  that  is  practical,  and 
that  you  can  use  when  advocating  the  Sabbath  as  a day  of  rest. 
When  Mr.  Evans  induced  a large  number  of  Indians  to  become 
Christians,  he  said  to  them,  “ Remember  the  Sabbath  day  to 
keep  it  holy.”  In  that  country  is  the  greatest  fur  trading 
company  in  the  world,  the  Hudson  Bay  Company.  They  have 
been  there  since  the  reign  of  Charles  the  First.  All  the  goods 
are  taken  through  that  part  of  the  country  by  brigades  of  boats. 
Until  lately  they  carried  all  their  goods  from  distant  places  by 
Indian  brigades,  who  bring  out  as  the  exchange  cargo,  boat-loads 
of  furs,  which  are  shipped  to  London.  Before  these  Indians 
became  Christians’,  they  traveled  every  day  alike.  When  our 
mission  was  established,  all  the  missionaries  went  in  for  the 
observance  of  the  Sabbath  day.  At  once  there  was  opposition 
from  the  Hudson  Bay  Company.  They  argued,  “ Our  summer 
is  short,  the  people  have  to  work  in  a hurry,  and  to  lose  one  day 
in  seven  will  be  a terrible  loss  to  us,  and  you  missionaries  must 
get  out  of  the  country  if  you  are  going  to  interfere  with  our  busi- 
ness.” There  was  downright  persecution  for  years,  but  there  is 
none  now,  for  it  was  found  that  the  brigades  of  Indians  who 
traveled  only  six  days  and  quietly  rested  on  the  Sabbath,  made 
the  journey  of,  perhaps,  fifteen  hundred  miles,  without  a single 
exception,  in  less  time,  and  came  back  in  better  health,  than 
those  who  traveled  without  observing  the  Sabbath.  So  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company  opposes  us  no  more.  They  say,  “ Go  on, 
missionaries  and  the  Lord  bless  you.” 

On  an  Alaskan  steamer  the  passengers  were  proving  that  an 
Indian  could  not  be  civilized.  So  Dr.  Hill,  of  Portland,  called 
up  a graduate  of  Marietta  and  Lane,  a native  Alaskan  with 


bronze  skin  and  black  hair,  who  told  the  story  of  what  the 
Gospel  had  done  for  his  people.  Skepticism  was  impossible  on 
deck  after  that  demonstration. 

The  number  of  Indian  Church  members  in  the  United  States 
is  28,663. 

After  reading  these  can  any  one  subscribe  to  the  libelous 
epithet  that  “ the  only  good  Indian  is  the  dead  Indian?  ” 

Had  the  Riggs,  the  Thurstons  and  the  Duncans  or  men  with 
their  spirit  held  sway,  the  Indian  today  would  stand  as  high  in 
the  social  scale  as  any  people.  The  Indian  is  no  more  difficult 
to  enlighten  than  the  natives  of  Polynesia.  Read  what  John 
Geddie  did  in  Aneiteum  in  the  New  Hebrides.  On  a tablet 
commemorating  his  work  we  read,  “ When  he  came  here  there 
were  no  Christians — when  he  left  there  were  no  heathen.”  When 
Geddie  landed  at  Aneiteum,  we  are  told,  there  were  few  children, 
so  many  having  been  killed  and  eaten. 

Read  the  story  of  John  G.  Paton  in  other  islands  of  the  New 
Hebrides — of  Mackay  at  Uganda  in  Africa — of  the  work  in  the 
Fiji  Islands,  once  the  centre  and  seat  of  the  most  atrocious  rites 
and  ceremonies  the  world  has  ever  seen  or  known.  Now  they 
are  ashamed  at  the  mention  of  cannibalism  and  say  “ do  not 
call  us  heathen.”  Fifty  years  ago  an  appeal  was  made  to  the 
English  people  headed  “ Pity  poor  Fiji.”  Today  more  than 
100,000  in  a population  of  125,000  are  members  of  the  Wesleyan 
Church.  Read  a few  of  the  results: 

“The  newspapers  announce  a contribution  to  the  Mansion 
House  Indian  Famine  I'und  of  ^£^844  from  Fiji.  Let  the  fact 
be  noted,  and  its  significance  be  taken  to  heart.  Sixty  years 
ago,  at  the  time  of  Her  Majesty’s  accession  to  the  throne,  the 
entire  Fiji  group  was  inhabited  by  pagan  cannibals.  Its  heathen 
darkness  was  unbroken  by  any  ray  of  Christian  religion  or 
civilization.  'I'vvo  Wesleyan  missionaries,  who  had  already 
labored  for  some  years  in  the  Friendly  Islands,  had  landed  on 
the  island  of  Lakemba  a few  months  previously,  and  were  the 
first  messengers  of  the  Gospel  to  the  Fijian  people.  The  Mis- 
sionary Report  of  the  following  year  (1838)  speaks  of  “ that 
distant  part  of  the  world,  which,  on  account  of  the  |)eculiarly 
ferocious  character  of  its  inhabitants,  is  as  yet  but  little  known 
to  Europeans.  Before  the  sailor  and  the  merchant  will  dare  to 
freciuent  those  now  inhospitable  shores,  the  missionary  must 
pro.secute  his  labor  of  love  amidst  privations  and  hardships; 
and  when  he  shall  have  succeeded  in  taming  and  humanizing 
the  people,  Fiji  may  then  become  what  the  once  savage  New 


8 


Zealand  has  already  been  made  by  a course  of  missionary  labor 
and  suffering — a place  of  safe  resort.” 

In  1850  you  could  buy  a man  in  the  Fiji  Islands  for  $7.00, 
butcher  him,  and  eat  him,  without  even  public  remonstrance. 
To-day  the  Bible  is  in  nearly  every  house,  and  on  Sunday  nine- 
tenths  of  the  people  may  be  found  assembled  in  the  churches 
for  public  worship.  What  about  the  power  and  profit  of  foreign 
missions?  ” 

“The  friends  of  temperance  will  rejoice  to  know  that  a 
complete  and  successful  system  of  prohibition  obtains  in  Fiji. 
The  rum  manufactured  at  the  sugar  factories  has  to  be  sent  else- 
where, as  any  one  giving  intoxicating  liquor  to  a native  is  fined 
;^5o  and  imprisoned  3 months.  This  penalty  is  doubled  for 
each  repeated  offense  while  in  the  colonies.” 

The  latter  item  shows  quite  a marked  advance  beyond  our 
own  efforts  at  prohibition.” 

“The  Rev.  W.  G.  Lawes,  of  New  Guinea,  writes  comparing 
and  contrasting  the  condition  of  New  Guinea  twenty-two  years 
ago  with  that  of  the  present  time.  Then  ‘ Darkness  covered 
the  land  and  gross  darkness  the  people.’  Now,  ‘ The  people 
that  walked  in  darkness  have  seen  a great  light;  they  that  dwelt 
in  the  land  of  the  shadow  of  death  upon  them  hath  the  light 
shined.’ 

After  twenty-two  years,  although  much  still  remains  of 
heathenism,  a great  and  mar%'elous  change  is  manifest.  From 
East  Cape  to  the  Fly  River  in  the  west,  covering  a distance  of 
700  miles,  are  many  centers  from  which  light  is  being  diffused. 
Ninety  churches  are  dotted  like  light-houses  along  the  coast. 
The  appearance  of  the  people  has  changed — the  wild  look  of 
suspicion  has  gone.  The  Sabbath  is  observed  even  in  many 
heathen  villages,  while  1,350  men  and  women  are  profest  fol- 
lowers of  Christ.” 

“The  missionary  steam  ydicYvX.,  John  Williams,  on  leaving 
Sydney,  carried  out  fifty  tons  of  building  materials  for  a Jubilee 
Hall,  to  be  erected  at  Malua,  in  Samoa,  at  a cost  of  ;^i,ooo,  all 
subscribed  by  the  Samoan  native  Christians;  forty  cases  of 
Bibles  for  Savage  Island,  and  a large  consignment  of  books  for 
New  Guinea,  in  the  Motu  language,  printed  in  Sydney  under 
the  supervision  of  Rev.  Dr.  Laws.  In  connection  with  the 
Samoan  Mission  there  are  now  six  hundred  members  of  the 
Christain  Endeavor  Societies.” 

“ Rarotonga,  the  South  Sea  island,  which  John  Williams  first 
visited,  has  a most  interesting  article  devoted  to  it  in  the  Decem- 


9 


ber  Chronicle  of  the  London  Missionary  Society.  It  has  a 
population  of  over  2,000,  and  has  been  a Christian  island  for 
more  than  seventy  years.  Each  village  (there  are  five  of  them) 
has  a church,  school-house,  and  manse  of  its  own.  The  people 
maintain  their  own  pastors,  and  make  an  annual  contribution  to 
the  London  Society.  They  have  stone  houses,  with  chairs  and 
tables;  they  use  buggies,  and  have  a bicycle  club\  they  have  a local 
parliament,  in  which  all  the  islands  of  the  group  are  represented.” 

“ Miss  E.  T.  Crosby,  Micronesia:  In  the  sixteen  churches  in 

the  Marshall  Islands,  at  first  the  people  were  asked  to  feed  the 
pastor.  They  have  to  give  in  cocoanuts,  and  this  to  many 
means  hunger.  After  the  churches  were  started  the  people  were 
taught  that  if  they  loved  the  Lord  they  must  show  it  in  giving. 
As  a result,  from  these  sixteen  churches  the  American  Board 
received  over  $1,200  last  year.  The  salary  of  a native  preacher 
is  $50  per  year,  so  our  mission  is  self-supporting.” 

For  our  example  let  us  take  a brief  look  at  what  our  mission- 
aries have  done  in  the  Caroline  Islands.  These  islands  are  ours 
already  by  right  of  spiritual  conquest.  The  missionaries  of  the 
.American  Board  began  work  in  1852  on  Ponape  and  Kusaie. 
In  the  words  of  Charles  Darwin — “ The  labor  of  the  missionary 
is  the  enchanter’s  wand  ” — and  today  Kusaie  is  not  only  the  gem 
of  the  Pacific  by  nature  but  in  the  transformed  character  of  its 
inhabitants. 

Ponape  has,  for  a long  time,  been  doing  missionary  work  on 
neighboring  islands.  On  Pingelap  there  is  a native  church  hav- 
ing two  hundred  and  fifty  members  with  a native  pastor  beloved 
and  respected  by  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  island.  Their  church 
building  was  built  of  coral  rock  by  the  natives  and  without 
expense  to  the  Board.  Beside  this  the  people  have  contributed 
to  the  funds  of  the  American  Board  liberally.  The  Ten  Com- 
mandments are  the  law  of  the  land  on  this  island  and  the 
manner  of  their  enforcement  would  do  credit  to  lands  boasting 
a higher  civilization. 

To  the  Mortlocks,  a part  of  the  Caroline  Archipelago,  three 
Christian  families  from  Ponape  were  taken  by  the  Morning  Star 
in  1873  act  as  missionaries.  The  language  differing  from  the 
Ponapean  a white  man  living  on  the  islands  agreed  to  act  as 
interpreter. 

Pile  chiefs  and  people  were  asked  if  they  would  receive  the 
teachers.  They  were  told  that  the  teachers  must  be  fed  and 
housed. 

Mr.  Sturges,  who  had  charge  of  the  mission  on  Ponape,  asked 


10 


the  chiefs — “ Will  you  provide  for  them?”  They  answered  “yes.” 
Then,  turning  to  the  teachers,  Mr.  Sturges  said — “ You  hear 
what  these  chiefs  promise.  .\re  you  willing  to  take  the  risk?  I 
have  not  so  much  as  a fish-hook  to  leave  with  you  with  which  to 
buy  food.”  Nothing  less  than  starvation  was  before  these 
teachers  if  the  heathen  natives  went  back  on  their  word — yet  the 
teachers  said,  “We  are  willing  to  stay.” 

A year  later  the  Morning  Star  dropped  anchor  in  the  lagoon 
of  one  of  the  Mortlocks  to  hear  the  report  of  the  year’s  labors. 
A hurricane  had  swept  over  the  island  carrying  great  waves  of 
salt  water  over  the  land  which  is  only  six  or  eight  feet  above  the 
ocean  level.  The  salt  water  killed  the  bread-fruit  trees  and 
ruined  the  taro  patches. 

Men,  women  and  children  had  died  of  starvation,  but  the 
natives  had  kept  their  promise  and  fed  the  teachers.  Where 
will  you  find  nobler  exhibition  of  conscientious  regard  for  the 
truth?  The  teachers  were  lonely  and  homesick;  some  were  in 
tears  but  a passage  home  being  offered,  them,  they  said,  “No! 
we  will  stay.”  .\nother  year  passed  and  what  a change!  The 
missionary  on  arrival  was  met  by  hundreds  of  men  and  women 
on  the  white  coral  shore  singing  a song  of  welcome.  Comfort- 
able dwellings  were  among  the  trees  and  in  a grove  of  bread- 
fruit trees  was  a church  to  which  the  missionary  and  teachers 
made  their  way.  The  church  was  soon  packed  with  natives. 
Hymns  were  sung  and  prayers  offered  by  the  natives.  To  make 
the  story  short,  this  good  work  did  not  stop  until  there  were 
churches  on  the  seven  inhabited  islets  of  the  Mortlock  group. 
The  same  work  has  been  going  on  in  Ruk,  in  Nama  and  other 
islands.  Ten  years  ago  nearly  one  third  of  the  Caroline  Islands 
had  been  occupied  by  the  missionary.  I'he  teachers  work  with- 
out salary,  only  asking  the  Board  for  clothing  and  a few  articles 
of  furniture.  In  1890  there  were  reported  fifteen  churches  with 
a thousand  members  and  nearly  the  same  number  of  pupils  in 
the  day  schools.  These  are  the  peoples  who,  two  generations 
before  this  time,  were  in  the  darkest  heathenism.  Are  not  peo- 
ples capable  of  such  conscientious  regard  for  the  keeping  of 
their  promises  worthy  of  our  protection?  How  much  are  we,  in 
our  boasted  civilization,  above  them  in  this  matter  of  honor? 
All  these  peoples  referred  to  in  these  illustrations  were  not  by 
nature  one  whit  above  the  Filipinos  and  there  is  no  reason  to 
doubt  but  that  like  causes  would  produce  like  results  among  them. 

What  about  India?  Sidney  Smith  said  once  of  Carey  and 
Marshman  who  went  to  India  as  missionaries — 


11 


“ Their  blundering  zeal  would  endanger  the  lives  of  British 
residents  and  rob  England  of  the  noble  prize  of  her  India  pos- 
sessions.” But  take  the  estimate  of  the  English  government 
itself  upon  the  work  of  the  missionary  in  India: 

“ Without  pronouncing  any  opinion  in  the  matter,  the 
government  of  India  cannot  do  otherwise  than  acknowledge  the 
great  obligation  under  which  it  is  laid  by  the  benevolent  exer- 
tions of  those  six  hundred  missionaries  whose  blameless  example 
and  self-denying  labors  are  infusing  new  vigor  into  the  life  of 
the  great  populations,  and  preparing  them  in  every  way  to  be 
better  men  and  better  citizens  of  the  great  empire  in  which  they 
dwell.  They  have  frequently  addressed  the  Indian  government 
on  important  social  questions  involving  the  welfare  of  the  native 
populations  and  have  suggested  valuable  improvements  in 
existing  laws.” 

To  this  might  be  added  the  words  of  the  Dean  of  Westmin- 
ster— “ The  verdict  of  the  English  government  is  a verdict  on 
which  we  can  rest  that  it  is  not  likely  to  be  reversed.” 

I'his  was  said  in  1871  after  about  seventy-five  years  of 
missionary  labor.  Contrast  this  with  the  comment  of  an 
English  officer  on  the  condition  of  India  in  1793  after  two 
hundred  years  of  English  occupation,  during  which  time  the 
teaching  of  religion  and  morality  were  forbidden:  “If  the 

empire  were  overthrown  today  the  only  monuments  we  would 
leave  would  be  bottles  and  corks.” 

Take  a few  more  testimonies  on  this  point: 

“ I believe  that  notwithstanding  all  that  the  English  people 
have  done  to  benefit  India,  the  missionaries  have  done  more 
than  all  other  agencies  combined.— (Lord  Lawrence,  Governor 
General  of  India.) 

“ In  my  official  capacity  I always  listened  to  their  (the  mis- 
sionaries) representations  on  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  wel- 
fare of  the  natives.  I'hey  are  most  useful,  however,  in  their 
writings,  speeches  and  preaching  in  enlightening  and  forming 
public  opinion  in  India.” — (Sir  Richard  Temple.) 

A writer  on  Africa  makes  the  statement  that  a million 
sterling  would  not  have  done  so  much  to  prepare  the  way  for 
the  British  as  the  forty-four  years  of  missionary  labor  had  done; 
and  adds  that  in  the  last  Kaffir  war  one  of  the  most  powerful 
chiefs  was  kept  from  rebellion  by  the  influence  of  missionaries. 

The  Earl  of  Shaftesbury  once  said  of  the  missionaries  of  the 
American  Board  in  Turkey: 

“ I do  not  believe  that  in  the  whole  history  of  missions — I 


12 


do  not  believe  that  in  the  history  of  diplomacy — nor  in  the 
history  of  any  negotiations  carried  on  between  man  and  man, 
we  can  find  anything  to  e(jual  the  wisdom,  the  soundness  and 
the  pure  evangelical  truth  of  the  body  of  men  who  constitute 
the  American  Mission  in  Turkey.” 

•\  recent  American  traveler  on  Turkey  says: 

“ There  is  only  one  genuinely  uplifting  and  educational 
influence  in  all  Turkey,  and  that,  I am  proud  to  say,  is  founded 
on  American  generosity.  I refer,  of  course,  to  the  missionaries. 

“ I do  not  hesitate  to  say  that  they  are  doing  more  for  the 
Turkey  of  today  than  all  the  European  powers  combined.”* 

Dr.  'Thompson,  the  African  traveler,  says:  “ Where  interna- 
tional effort  has  failed,  an  unassuming  mission  supported  by  a 
few  of  the  British  people  has  been  quietly  and  most  successfully 
realizing  in  its  own  district  the  entire  program  of  the  Brussels 
Conference. 

'The  Livingstonia  Mission  has  proved  itself  in  every  sense  of 
the  word,  a civilized  centre — slavery  has  been  abolished — wars 
stopped — and  peace  and  good  will  given  to  wide  areas  of 
country.” 

It  has  been  asked,  how  can  webring  about  such  results  in 
our  new  possessions  and  where  can  the  right  material  be  found 
to  send  among  these  peoples?  .Answering  the  first  query  in  the 
words  attributed  to  Peter  the  Great,  I should  say,  “ When  you 
wish  to  conquer  a country — first  send  missionaries.”  He,  repre- 
senting the  children  of  this  world,  was  wiser  in  his  day  and 
generation  than  are  the  children  of  light,  or  the  people  of  this 
land  in  their  day  in  solving  the  problem  “ How  to  treat  alien 
races.”  While  he  spoke  from  a mercenary  standpoint  the  prin- 
ciple involved  is  applicable  to  the  work  we  have  in  hand  and  we 
have  ample  testimony  as  to  what  the  missionary  can  do  in  the 
way  of  helping  on  the  regeneration  of  a people  morally  and 
physically. 

When  the  missionary  has  prepared  the  way,  if  there  is  need 
of  the  political  element,  the  politician  can  then  enter  in. 

A bit  of  history  will  throw  some  light  on  the  second  inquiry: 
In  1854,  a prominent  advocate  of  Woman’s  Rights,  in  the 
course  of  an  address  delivered  in  one  of  our  western  cities, 
made  use  of  this  e.xpression — “ If  this  country  should  come  into 
an  emergency  like  that  of  the  W'ar  of  the  Revolution,  where 
would  we  find  the  men  to  fill  the  gap?  ” 

Well,  we  have  passed  through  like  exigencies  once  and  again, 

* "Through  .Armenia  on  Horseback.”  Rev.  Geo.  H.  Hepworth. 


13 


and  found  ample  material  in  men  and  means  to  meet  them 
successfully. 

So,  in  the  emergencies  that  may  arise  in  the  case  before  us, 
men  will  be  found  ready  and  capable  to  meet  and  assume  any 
and  all  responsibility  in  leading  these  islanders  out  of  their 
darkness  into  light. 

In  fact,  the  controlling  of  these  peoples  may  be  the  means  of 
producing  better  men  to  act  in  home  affairs.  On  this  point  let 
me  quote  what  Sir  Henry  Maine  has  said  as  the  result  of  his 
own  experience;  “ From  the  standpoint  of  the  Indian  office  the 
questions  of  English  local  politics  appear  very  small.  In  other 
words,  it  is  the  duty  laid  upon  the  English  nation  of  adminis- 
tering before  God  and  as  in  the  eyes  of  the  world  the  govern- 
ment of  three  hundred  millions  of  alien  peoples  which  has  given 
her  the  power  to  do  the  work.  The  duty  has  developed  the  men 
and  now  the  English  people  as  well  as  English  statesmen  have 
come  to  recognize  that  the  successful  work  which  England, 
through  its  leaders,  has  accomplished  in  India  and  other  colonies, 
has  not  only  furnished  the  inspiration  and  the  example  which 
has  purified  and  ennobled  English  home  politics,  but  has  pro- 
duced the  men  to  whom  England  is  now  looking  to  return  as 
her  home  leaders  to  insure  her  the  new  career  which  is  awaiting 
England  among  the  nations.” 

Let  us  see  what  missionaries  have  done  in  lines  of  work 
outside  of  their  particular  sphere  as  religious  teachers: 

Out  of  the  three  hundred  languages  and  dialects  in  which  the 
Bible  is  printed  today,  nearly  one  hundred  were  given  a written 
form  by  the  missionaries.  In  this  connection  it  might  be  well 
to  keep  in  mind  the  words  of  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
authorities  on  translations  who  says:  “ It  is  a glad  fact  that  no 

language  to  which  has  been  committed  the  Oracles  of  God  has 
ever  become  extinct  or  passed  away  from  the  resevoir  of  human 
knowledge.”  * 

It  was  a missionary  of  the  American  Board  who,  in  1838 
taught  the  Hawaiian  king  the  science  of  government  and  trans- 
lated a code  of  laws  into  the  Hawaiian  language.  He  was  after- 
wards sent  as  an  ambassador  to  the  English  court.  It  was  a 
missionary  of  the  American  Board  whose  zeal  and  energy  saved 
Washington,  Oregon  and  Idaho  to  the  United  States.  American 
missionaries  explored  and  mapped  Palestine,  Syria,  Turkey  and 
Persia;  German  missionaries  Abyssinia  and  Eastern  Africa; 
English  missionaries  Madagascar  and  the  islands  of  the  Pacific. 

* K . N.  Cust,  L,  L.  D..  in  “ Bible  Translations.” 


14 


Karl  Ritter,  called  “ The  Prince  of  Geographers,”  says,  “The 
contributions  of  the  missionaries  have  become  a part  of  the 
world’s  knowledge.  I could  not  have  written  my  great  work 
without  the  aid  of  material  collected  by  missionaries.”  More 
than  half  a hundred  languages  have  been  reduced  to  writing  and 
thousands  of  natives  are  now  reading  the  Bible  in  their  own 
tongue  through  the  labors  of  the  missionary. 

The  records  of  the  Oriental  Translation  Society,  of  London, 
show  a vote  of  thanks  to  our  Ceylon  missionaries  for  services 
rendered  to  science.  .\  distinguished  scientist,  a professor  in 
one  of  our  Eastern  colleges  makes  this  statement — “ 1 realize 
greatly  the  value  of  missionary  labor  to  science.  The  American 
Oriental  Society  has  been  so  dependent  upon  them  that  there 
would  hardly  be  occasion  for  the  Society  without  the  mis- 
sionary.” “ I have  heard,”  he  continues,  “ the  managers  of  the 
great  Oriental  Societies  abroad  speak  with  admiration  of  the 
learning,  good  sense  and  enterprise  of  American  missionaries.” 

These  are  the  traditions  we  do  well  to  remember. 

Can  we  as  a nation,  with  such  allies  among  us,  and  such  a 
record  of  missionary  work  behind  us,  afford  to  turn  from  the 
appeals  of  any  people  whom  God  has  given  into  our  hands? 
Dare  we  permit  them  to  drop  back  into  barbarism  now  that  we 
have  given  them  a hope  for  better  things? 

Let  us  have  a care  that  we,  as  a nation,  do  not  add  one  more 
to  that  long  line  of  nations  on  whose  monument  are  inscribed 
the  words  of  the  prophet — “Thou  art  weighed  in  the  balances 
and  found  wanting.” 

“For  the  nation  and  kingdom  that  will  not  serve  thee  shall 
perish;  yea,  those  nations  shall  be  utterly  wasted.” — Isaiah  60-12. 


15 


f 


I*'*' 


/ 


